Renewables-based Distributed Energy Resources in Ontario: A Three-Part Series of Unfortunate Truths Part 2: Ratepayer Cost Implications

Solar panels on a grassy hill

“Intermittency makes a solar option 50% or $2.5B/year more costly than a nuclear option.”

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by Marc Brouillette May 2019

In “Renewables-based Distributed Energy Resources in Ontario: A Three-Part Series of Unfortunate Truths, Part 2 – Ratepayer Cost Implications”, author and principle consultant at Strategic Policy Economics (Strapolec), Marc Brouillette describes how intermittent renewable generation characteristics differ greatly from the patterns of energy demand in Ontario. In this second of a series of three Commentaries, Marc Brouillette points out that pursuing renewables-based distributed energy resources has the potential to increase ratepayer bills by 10 to 20 percent and that no mix of wind, solar and storage to reduce emissions improves the economics for Ontario ratepayers.